Combination sewing machine housing and carrying case

ABSTRACT

A sewing machine housing having a base with a work support, a standard upstanding at one end of the base, a bracket arm extending from the standard below the upper end thereof, overlaying the work support and terminating in a sewing head. A substantially one piece jacket having a front wall, a rear wall spaced from the front wall, and an end wall connected to one end of each of the front and rear walls, and a top wall interconnected to the top of each of the front, rear and end walls is provided for concealing the sewing instrumentalities and the work support. A portion of the standard is recessed from the base at the front and rear thereof by an amount substantially equal to the thickness of the front and rear walls of the jacket so that substantially smooth planar surfaces are formed with the exterior surface of the front and rear walls and the respective adjacent surfaces of the base and standard. Slideways are formed on the front and rear upper edges of the base for receiving the bottom edge of a respective one of the front and rear jacket walls. A carrying handle is secured to the top surface of the jacket, and cooperative latching members are formed on the top wall of the jacket and the standard above the bracket arm, and on the jacket end wall and the adjacent exterior surface of the base.

llttited tats atet 1 Hetterieh COMBINATHON SEWING MACHINE- HOUSING AND CARRYING CASE [75] Inventor: George C. Hetterich, Saint Petersburg, Fla.

[73] Assignee: The Singer Company, New York,

22 Filed: Feb. 27, 1973 211 Appl.No.:336,295

Fresard 312/208 Primary Examiner-William T. Dixson, Jr.

Attorney, Agent, or FirmRobert E. Smith; Edward L.

Bell; Alan Ruderman Jan.7,1975

[57] ABSTRACT A sewing machine housing having a base with a work support, a standard upstanding at one end of the base, a bracket arm extending from the standard below the upper end thereof, overlaying the work support and terminating in a sewing head. A substantially one piece jacket having a front wall, a rear wall spaced from the front wall, and an end wall connected to one end of each of the front and rear walls, and a top wall interconnected to the top of each of the front, rear and end walls is provided for concealing the sewing instrumentalities and the work support. A portion of the standard is recessed from the base at the front and rear thereof by an amount substantially equal to the thickness of the front and rear walls of the jacket so that substantially smooth planar surfaces are formed with the exterior surface of the front and rear walls and the respective adjacent surfaces of the base and standard. Slideways are formed on the front and rear upper edges of the base for receiving the bottom edge of a respective one of the front and rear jacket walls. A carrying handle is secured to the top surface of the jacket, and cooperative latching members are formed on the top wall of the jacket and the standard above the bracket arm, and on the jacket end wall and the adjacent exterior surface of the base.

1 Claim, 4 Drawing Figures 66v 2 68 P/ l l COMBINATION SEWING MACHINE HOUSING AND CARRYING CASE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to a sewing machine carrying case, and more particularly to a sewing machine housing and a removable jacket adapted to form with the housing a carrying case for enclosing the sewing instrumentalities.

This application is a modification of co-pending United States Patent application Ser. No. 115,213 filed Feb. 16, 1971 assigned to the common assignee hereof. This invention evolved out of an effort to reduce the manufacturing costs associated with a sewing machine housing and carrying case for a light-weight portable sewing machine.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention provides a light-weight portable sewing machine and carrying case combination by providing a substantially one-piece jacket adapted to slide on the base about the sewing instrumentalities and abut a portion of the standard. In contrast to the aforesaid pending United States Patent Application, the present invention includes ajacket having a top surface to which is secured a carrying handle and thereby provides a less expensive construction. Cooperating latching members on the jacket top and standard, and on the jacket end panel and base secure the jacket to the housing for the stored condition.

It is therefore a primary object of this invention to provide an inexpensive carrying case for a light-weight portable sewing machine.

It is another object of this invention to provide a portable sewing machine housing and ajacket in which the exterior surfaces of the jacket provide with the external surfaces of the standard and base of the sewing machine a substantially continuous external surface.

Accordingly, the present invention provides a novel removable jacket adapted to cooperate in an installed position with a sewing machine housing to thereby provide a carrying case. The jacket comprises a front wall, a rear wall spaced from the front wall, and an end wall connected to one end of each of the front and rear walls, and a top wall interconnected to the top of each of said front, rear and end walls. The other end of each of the front and rear walls being open and spaced from the other. The front and rear walls each have lower spaced apart edges slidably receivable on a respective front and rear slideway formed on the front and rear edges of the work support. The exterior surfaces of the jacket are such that when in the installed position substantially smooth planar surfaces are provided between the exterior surfaces of the walls and the exterior surfaces of the bed and standard. Means for latching or locking the jacket in the installed position on the housing are conveniently provided. A carrying handle is secured to the top surface of the jacket for lifting the jacket and sewing machine.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The particular features and advantages of the invention as well as other objects will become apparent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a. preferred embodiment of the present invention showing the housing and jacket in the sewing or disassembled position;

FIG. 2'is a perspective view of the: housing and jacket shown in FIG. 1 with the jacket in the installed or carrying position;

FIG. 3 is an elevational view of the jacket and sewing machine in the installed position with the jacket shown in crosssection; and

FIG. 4 is a cross sectional view taken along lines 4-4 of FIG. 3, but with the mechanism removed from the standard for clarity.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring now to the accompanying drawings wherein like reference numerals denote similar parts throughout the various views, there is disclosed a sewing machine housing generally designated 10 and a jacket generally designated 12, which is adapted to cooperate with the housing as hereinafter described, and which together provide a carrying case. The housing, which is preferably of a plastic molded construction, and which may be molded in two, three or more parts comprises a base or bed l4 having a standard 16 upstanding atone end thereof. A work support surface 18 forms a top surface of the base 14 and allows the material that is to be sewn to be manipulated thereon. Extending from the standard 16 below its upper extremity is a bracket arm 20 which overlays the work support surface and terminates in a head 22 spaced above the work support 18.

Within the head 22 of the bracket arm, mounted for endwise reciprocation, is a needle 24 which cooperates in a known manner with a loop taker (not shown) mounted within the base. Also mounted within 'the head of the bracket arm is a presser bar 26 having a presser foot 28 mounted on the free end thereof. The presser foot is adapted to cooperate in the usual manner with feet teeth 30 at the top of a feed dog (not shown) which is mounted within the base and protrudes through slots in a throat plate 32 mounted on the work support to feed the work being sewn. A thread take-up 34, for manipulating thread to the needle 24,

is mounted ,within the head 22 of the bracket arm and is connected to mechanism (not shown) for performing this well-known function. Inasmuch as any conventional sewing mechanism can be adapted to fit within the housing 10, no such mechanism is shown in the drawings since such mechanism is well disclosed in the art.

The bracket arm 20 includes a control panel 36 on which is mounted conventional stitch control levers 38, 40 and 42 controlling the bite, needle position and stitch type. The standard 16 includes a post 44 recessed at the front and rear of the housing from the outer surfaces of the base and the'standard as indicated at 46 and 48 in FIG. 4. The post 44 is recessed from the front and rear of the standard and base so that it may provide sufficient clearance for the jacket 12 when in the installed position so that a continuous surface is provided between the jacket and the sewing machine housing. A stitch control knob 49 is provided for varying, through conventional mechanism (not shown), the movement of the feed dog teeth 30, and therefore, the stitch length.

The jacket 12 comprises a substantially unitary structure having a front wall 50, a rear wall 52 spaced from the front wall an end wall 54 connected to one end of each of the front and rear walls, and a top wall 56 formed unitarily with each of the front, rear and end walls.

Extending about the periphery of the work space is a substantially continuous step recess 58. At the front and rear of the base 14, the step recess 58 is substantially equal to the thickness of the corresponding wall 50 and 52 of the jacket and define respective front and rear slideways. Thus, the bottom edges of the walls 50 and 52 are slidably received on the recess 58 and slide into abutment with the head end facing surface 60 of the standard 16. The step recess 58 continues along the work surface and extends upwardly along the standard at the intersection of the post 44 with the major portion of the standard and about the surface 60 so that when the jacket is in the installed position substantially smooth planar surfaces are formed with the exterior surface of the jacket and the adjacent exterior surfaces of the base and standard. ln particular, substantially smooth planar surfaces are formed with the front wall 50 of the jacket and the adjacent exterior surfaces of the base and the standard, and substantially smooth planar surfaces are formed with the exterior surface of the rear wall 52 and the adjacent exterior surfaces of the base and the standard, and substantially smooth planar surfaces are formed with the exterior surface of the end wall 54 and the adjacent exterior surface of the base. Moreover, the height of the standard and of the jacket walls is such that when in the installed position substantially smooth planar surfaces are formed with the exterior surface of the top wall 56 and the top surface 62 of the standard.

ln order to secure the jacket to the housing two pair of cooperative latching mechanisms are provided. The first pair comprises a tongue 64 which extends outwardly from the open end of the jacket from a downwardly depending portion 66 ofthe top. The face 60 of the standard includes a slot 68 which is adapted to receive the tongue 64 when the jacket is properly positioned on the housing. The second cooperative pair of latching members comprises a block member 70 secured to the head end of the base substantially midway between the front and rear surfaces thereof. Secured to the end panel 54 of the jacket is a plastic latching member 72 having a camming surface 74 formed on the bottom thereof. The member 72 includes a first leg 76 which is secured to the end panel 54 by at least one rivet 78, and includes a downwardly extending leg 80 pivotably secured to the leg 76. Thus, to secure the jacket to the housing the jacket is slidably received on the slideway 58 until the tongue 64 registers with the slot 68, and the wall 54 properly registers with the end of the base. The leg 80 is then pivotably moved outwardly from the leg 76 and the leg 76 is bent slightly until the cam surface 74 engages the bottom of the block 70. The leg 80 is then pushed back toward the wall 54 until the leg 76 is taut. The jacket is then properly installed on the housing. A carrying handle 82 may be formed on the top wall 56 of the jacket or may be secured thereto by conventional means so that the combination of the jacket and the sewing machine housing provide a carrying case.

It is clearly illustrated in the drawings that the exterior surfaces of the jacket walls form with the adjacent exterior surfaces of the standard and base in the installed position substantially smooth planar surfaces which, except for manufacturing tolerances, form a substantially continuous exterior surface. Clearly, the walls each have an exterior surface at the respective abutting joints with the standard and base, such that at the respective abutting edges, the jacket walls and the housing have substantially smooth planar surfaces.

It should be clear that numerous alterations of the structure herein disclosed will suggest themselves to those skilled in the art. All such modifications which do not depart from the spirit of the invention are intended to be included within the scope of the claims.

Having thus set forth the nature of the invention, what is claimed herein is:

l. A sewing machine carrying case comprising, in combination a sewing machine housing and a removable rigid jacket adapted to cooperate in an installed position with the housing to conceal the sewing instrumentalities; said housing including a base having a work-support; a standard upstanding at one end of the base; a bracket arm extending from the standard below the upper end thereof and overlaying said work support; means defining front and rear slideways on the work support; said jacket comprising a unitary structure having a front wall, a rear wall spaced from said front wall, an end wall connected to one end of each of said front and rear walls, and a top interconnected to the top of each of said front, rear and end walls; the other of each of said front, and rear walls being open and spaced from the other; said front and rear walls each having lower spaced apart edges slidably receivable on a respective one of said front and rear slideways; a portion of said standard being recessed from the base at the front and rear thereof by an amount substantially equal to the thickness of the front and rear walls, the exterior surface of said walls being constructed such that when said jacket is in the installed position said work support is enclosed and substantially smooth planar surfaces are formed with the exterior surface of the front wall and the adjacent exterior surfaces of said base and standard, and substantially smooth planar surfaces are formed with the exterior surface of said rear wall and the adjacent surface of said base and standard, and substantially smooth planar surfaces are formed with the exterior surface of said end wall and the adjacent exterior surface of said base,

and substantially smooth planar surfaces are formed with said top wall and the adjacent exterior surface of the upper end of said standard; latch means comprising first cooperative latching members on the top wall and the standard above the bracket arm, and second cooperative latching members on said end wall and the adjacent exterior surface of said base for securing said jacket to said housing; and a carrying handle mounted on the top wall. 

1. A sewing machine carrying case comprising, in combination a sewing machine housing and a removable rigid jacket adapted to cooperate in an installed position with the housing to conceal the sewing instrumentalities; said housing including a base having a work-support; a standard upstanding at one end of the base; a bracket arm extending from the standard below the upper end thereof and overlaying said work support; means defining front and rear slideways on the work support; said jacket comprising a unitary structure having a front wall, a rear wall spaced from said front wall, an end wall connected to one end of each of said front and rear walls, and a top interconnected to the top of each of said front, rear and end walls; the other of each of said front, and rear walls being open and spaced from the other; said front and rear walls each having lower spaced apart edges slidably receivable on a respective one of said front and rear slideways; a portion of said standard being recessed from the base at the front and rear thereof by an amount substantially equal to the thickness of the front and rear walls, the exterior surface of said walls being constructed such that when said jacket is in the installed position said work support is enclosed and substantially smooth planar surfaces are formed with the exterior surface of the front wall and the adjacent exterior surfaces of said base and standard, and substantially smooth planar surfaces are formed with the exterior surface of said rear wall and the adjacent surface of said base and standard, and substantially smooth planar surfaces are formed with the exterior surface of said end wall and the adjacent exterior surface of said base, and substantially smooth planar surfaces are formed with said top wall and the adjacent exterior surface of the upper end of said standard; latch means comprising first cooperative latching members on the top wall and the standard above the bracket arm, and second cooperative latching members on said end wall and the adjacent exterior surface of said base for securing said jacket to said housing; and a carrying handle mounted on the top wall. 